Heart Skipped A Beat
by AyRayKay
Summary: "We're not actually in love. It's just acting!" "Not for long, my friend." A RokuNami AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or the later mentioned play.**

* * *

Namine slammed her locker door with a satisfying bang. "No."

"But Namine…" Kairi stared at her blonde best friend with violet puppy dog eyes, a begging expression adorning her pretty face. "Pleeeease?"  
"Kairi, are you crazy?!"

"No! And it's because I'm not crazy that I'm making you do this! I know you love to act. This could be your big break!"

"It's a school play," Namine interjected.

Kairi continued, unfazed. "You don't even have to go out for Juliet."

"Yeah, we both know Selphie's getting that, even if she has to kill the person who has it," Namine said, rolling her eyes.

"Exactly. Just go out for a minor role. I promise, it won't kill you."

"Nope, nope, aaaand nope. In case you missed it, no one even knows who I am. Only popular people get parts."

"Who cares? You're better than Selphie any day!" Kairi exclaimed adamantly.

"I said no!" As Namine turned to walk away from her too-persistent friend, she ran straight into a much less annoying blonde friend. Righting herself, blushing, she apologized.

"Ah, no worries, Nams. Now what was that about you trying out for the play?" Roxas wiggled his eyebrows, grinning.

Kairi suddenly reappeared behind her. "Well, I'm trying to get her to. But she refuses. Help?"

Namine glared at them both. "Come _on_! Double teaming is not fair."

"I bet I can convince you," he said.

"No, you can't."

"Can too."

"Try me," she said, raising her eyebrows.

"Fine," he said, holding up a finger. "A: This is a junior class school play in a small town. There's not going to be more than 150 people. You've helped your parents cater to a thousand. B:," he said, ticking off another finger, "You'd only go out for a minor part. No biggie. C: I know you have the time to do it, since all you do is draw."

"Hey!" Namine interjected.

"Hay is for horses. I'm not finished. D: You get to be in a play with me." Roxas grinned, cocking his head to one side. "And we all know I'm wonderful. And sexy."

"Oh really, Mr. Arrogant," Namine teased. "How do you even know you'll get a part?"  
Kairi stepped in, "Considering he has gotten a starring role in every single play the school has held since sixth grade, I think he'll get one." She only grinned in response to Namine's glares.

Namine let out a long sigh, thinking it over. She never had any afterschool plans anyway, and she did like to act….aaaaand Roxas would be there…

"Fine."  
Kairi cheered, jumping up and down, and highfived a smiling Roxas. "Auditions are at 3:30 today. And I'm showing up just to make sure you do too!"

"I know, I know. Gosh, you guys are persistent."  
"More Roxas than me, considering my daily begging for a week did nothing, yet he got you to do it in two sentences. Very suspicious, you two…"

Both Namine and Roxas rolled their eyes at their redheaded friend.

"Har har, Kai. Just friends, as we have said ONE THOUSAND TIMES BEFORE," Roxas responded.

As he walked away, saying something about being late for algebra, Namine couldn't help but deflate a little.

Kairi tugged at her arm. "Yeah, one's just a friend, but the other's not…" she said in a singsongy voice.

"Kai, it's a microscopic crush! No way will anything become of it!"

"You know, that's what I always thought about Sora and I. And now look," Kairi replied smugly.

"That's wayyy different than Roxas and I," Namine sighed.

"Not if I get my way…" said Kairi, smiling mischievously. She added on, "And considering the play _is _Romeo and Juliet…"

* * *

By 3:15, Namine couldn't wait for the auditions.

Just so Kairi would shut up about them.

Shushing her friend for the hundredth time, Namine said, "I swear, if you don't shut up, I'm not going."

"Yes, you are."

"Remember, I'm only going out for a small part. Juliet's Nurse doesn't have too many lines."  
"Sadly, that's true. I'd pay good money to see you as Juliet, kissing some guy onstage."

"Kairi!"

When the bell rang, Kairi dragged Namine to the auditorium, talking the whole time. _How long until this stupid thing is over? _

Entering the auditorium and sitting down next to Kairi, she suddenly felt butterflies swoop in her stomach. While Namine had learned to get over speaking in front of the class, this many people still made her very, very nervous.

And she was going to act in front of them…

The drama teacher's voice snapped her out of her daze. "Hello, everyone! I am Mr. Leonhart, and I will be the director of this play. And, as the director, I'm also picking the cast."

Kairi leaned over to Namine and whispered, "He's nice. I had him last year. He's pretty fair."

"As long as he doesn't bow down to Selphie the school donator's daughter like most teachers, he sounds good to me."

Namine tuned back in. "Now, instead of having you all audition for separate parts, I've decided to do something a little different this year. Every girl will read for Juliet, and every boy for Romeo. I will then assign you where I think you will fit best."

The girl's already pale face went pure white. Oh. No. Kairi, of course, started jumping up and down. "Now you'll HAVE to go out for a major part!" she whispered just a bit too loud. The boy behind her shushed the two.

Mr. Leonhart looked down at a sheet of paper. "First up to audition…Selphie Mura!"

A girl with piercing green eyes and meticulously curled brown hair pranced up to the stage. "Hello, everyone!" Selphie said in the most fake-excited tone Namine had ever heard. "I am Selphie, and I will be auditioning for…Juliet! Then again, everyone is. Oops!" She let out a giggle that, in Namine's opinion, made her sound even more like a ditz. Looking over at Kairi and seeing her friend roll her eyes, others agreed.

As Selphie launched into an overacted rendition of Shakespeare, Roxas plopped down next to Namine. He leaned over. "Did I miss anything?"

"All the girls are auditioning for Juliet, and all the boys for Romeo," Namine said bluntly, narrowing her eyes.

Roxas laughed at her expression. "It'll be okay, Nams. I'm sure he could switch you to the part you want."

"Who says I'll even get a part?"

"Me."

Against her will, Namine felt herself smiling a bit.

Selphie finished her monologue and walked off of the stage to applause from her minions. "Very good," Mr. Leonhart said in a bored tone. "Next up is….Roxas Hikari."

A look of nervousness passed over her friend's face, and she laid a hand on his arm. "You're going to do great," Namine whispered. He smiled and stood, walking towards the stage.

The two girls watched him perform. He really did come alive on stage, and everyone else in the auditorium could tell. Namine wished she had even a little of his talent. He was definitely going to be Romeo. And Selphie would end up getting Juliet.

She let out a sigh just as Roxas came walking back to his seat.

And then she heard her name called.

Kairi pushed her up, and she nervously walked down the aisle, taking the script Mr. Leonhart handed her. Gulping, she looked out at the audience, then back at the script, and began to read.

"Juliet. 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;

Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,

Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part

Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!"

As she read, she felt her nervousness melt away, and her love for acting show as she performed.

"What's in a name? that which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet;

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,

Retain that dear perfection which he owes

Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,

And for that name which is no part of thee

Take all myself."

When she finished, there was a silence before the entire auditorium burst into applause. In the back, she could see Kairi and Roxas standing up, cheering.

Mr. Leonhart quieted the auditorium. "_Very _good, Namine! I can't believe I've never seen you in a play before!"

She walked back to her seat, listened to the other auditions, and heard when the cast would be announced with only one thought in her mind.

_Oh. No._

* * *

**Oh my gosh, Audrey's doing a multi-chapter story? And she planned the whole thing out chapter by chapter? And she's already working on the next chapter? No way. **

**Okay, I have a lot to say. First off, thank you to kinmoku2 for giving me this story idea way back when. It may be a bit overused, but it's a great one! :D Second off, thanks to everyone who's been reading my occasional oneshots. While the recent ones I might take down, the others I do like. ****J**** Feel free to go read those! **

**Third off. Is anyone looking for a beta? Seeing as I'm considering being an editor, I would like to try betaing. If so, message me, please! **

**Fourth off. Please follow, favorite, and REVIEW! The more reviews, the faster the next chapter!**

**~Audrey **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.**

* * *

The entire week, Namine attempted to think of everything but the impending doom. Sadly, Kairi reminded her of it every single second.

"I still can't believe how FANTASTIC you were! I mean, I knew you could act, but that was so great!" Her best friend appeared to have drunk six cups of coffee that day as they walked through the school hallways after lunch. "You're so going to be Juliet."

"But I don't _want _to be! I'll have to memorize all those lines, and be on the stage most of the time in front of everyone, and, oh yeah, PRETEND TO BE IN LOVE WITH SOME RANDOM GUY," Namine exclaimed.

Kairi smiled, raising her eyebrows. "Well, considering Roxas is probably going to be Romeo…"

Namine punched her in the arm. "Shut. Up." Kairi only grinned wider. "Besides, Selphie is going to end up getting Juliet. And then her and Roxas will fall in love and get married and have adorable blonde haired green eyed babies as I sit alone with 30 cats drawing all day."

Her friend rolled her eyes. "I should be recording this conversation. I can play it at the wedding."

"Shut UP, Kairi!" As the two girls rounded the corner heading towards English, Roxas joined them. And, of course, stupid Kairi zipped away, whispering to Namine that the couple needed some alone time. Sigh.

Roxas looked unfazed. "What class do you have again, Nams?"

"English. Kairi and I were _supposed_ to get there early to study for a test, but she seems to have vanished," she sighed.

He laughed. "She always seems to do that! I don't get it!"

Namine attempted to hold back a blush, remembering Kairi's parting words. "No clue."

"So, Nams, how many times has she told you you're going to get the lead?" Roxas asked, smiling.

"It's impossible to count," she said sarcastically.

He looked over at her. "She's right, you know. You were amazing. I've never seen you like that before."

This time she couldn't help her face turning red. "T-Thank you." She quickly turned the conversation back to him. "You weren't too bad yourself, mister," she told him, bumping her shoulder against his.

Roxas scratched the back of his neck and looked at the ground, suddenly shy. "Thanks."

"Have fun being Romeo with Selphie as Juliet, though," Namine said, rolling her eyes.

He let out a laugh, his shyness forgotten. "If she's Juliet and I get Romeo, I'll be killing myself way before the end of the play."

They both burst out into laughter as the classroom door loomed in front of them. "Well, see ya, Nams," he said, walking down the hall. He turned around with an afterthought. "Don't forget, results go up after school!"

Namine felt dread fill her stomach again. _Yikes._

* * *

By the end of the day, Namine felt like she was going to throw up. As Kairi led her to the board where the list was supposed to be pinned up, chattering the whole way, all she could think was _What if I get it? What if Roxas gets Romeo? What if we end up falling in love for real? Oh wait, that's not going to happen. _

As the two waited in a throng of people, Roxas and Sora approached, pushing through the crowd.

"So, how much longer?" Sora's blue eyes looked much more excited than his brother's, who was nervously looking around, scoping out the multitude of teenagers who were waiting. "There's got to be half the school here! I never knew these plays were this big!"

Kairi glared at her boyfriend, then looked over at her best friend, who was visibly shaking. "Not helping, Sora."

"Hey, she can't be as nervous as Roxas! He's been talking my ear off all day!"

"Have not! It's not a big deal!" he said unconvincingly. Namine had never seen him this anxious before, and they had been friends for five years. He was always the calm one, the guy who would help her worries disappear. What was the big deal about this play?

Murmurs went through the crowd, and Namine heard Selphie screech as Mr. Leonhart approached the crowd. "Back away, people!" he yelled, and they parted like the Red Sea as he pinned the list to the board.

The four friends were shoved forward as everyone crowded in to see who received the parts. Next to her, Namine felt a hand brush hers, and was surprised to see Roxas gritting his teeth fearfully. She looked up at him. "It'll be okay," she said with a small smile.

_Do you have to believe the words yourself in order to reassure someone? _

A high pitched scream bounced through the hallway. "NO!"

Kairi grinned at her best friends. "Looks like Selphie won't be your Juliet, Roxas."

The brunette girl stomped through the crowd, her eyes searching.

Until they landed right on Namine.

"YOU BRAT! YOU STOLE IT FROM ME!" she yelled.

Namine's eyes went wide, and she felt a hand grab hers, pulling her away from the girl. Turning around to see Roxas staring daggers at Selphie, he pushed the bystanders away so they could get to the front of the crowd.

And as the two friends looked at the list, Namine felt her heart rise and her head collapse.

**Juliet- Namine Sato**

**Romeo-Roxas Hikari**

_Oh. No. _

Before she could turn to Roxas, Selphie was in her face again.

"You really think that you can be Juliet? Well, guess who's your understudy? That means if something happens to you, I get to have it. So watch your back, brat," she sneered, flouncing away.

She didn't even realize that Roxas was still holding her hand until he tightened his grip on hers before letting go. Namine put on a fake smile. "You got the part!"

The anger in his eyes slowly dissipated, and was replaced with happiness. "Yeah. We both did. Great job, Nams," he said, his grin making up for her fake smile.

Mr. Leonhart, who was standing to the side waiting for the chaos to calm, gestured the two of them over.

"First off, congratulations, you two. I was very impressed with both of your auditions. Second off, since you two are the leads, I expect you two to practice together, starting today. Go over to someone's house and do a read through. Easy enough. The first rehearsal will be in two days after school, from 3:30 to 6:00. Do not be late. I will not hesitate to give the parts to your understudies. I also expect you both to have your lines memorized in two weeks, and since most of them are with each other, I want you guys to do it together. I hope you two like each other, because for the next two months, you'll be seeing a lot of the other. Now, get going," he said, handing them each a thick script and walking off.

Roxas scratched the back off his neck, quirking his mouth. "So, um, want to come over and practice? My mom won't care. And I think Sora's doing something with Kairi. "

"S-sure. My parents are at work till six, so it'll be fine as long as I get home before then," she stammered nervously.

"Awesome. You take the bus, right?"

"Y-yeah."

"Okay. I'll take you to my house, then. Let's go."

Namine looked behind her to see Kairi squealing and Sora giving her a thumbs up. As her and Roxas walked towards the double doors leading to the parking lot, she heard Sora yell over the crowd, "No sex!"

_I am going to kill that guy._

* * *

The drive to Roxas' house was mostly filled with silence as Namine silently read the first few pages of the script. Before they opened the car door, Roxas stopped her.

"You've never been to my house, have you?"

"Well, I think a few times in seventh grade. But not recently. Why?"

"Um…Just warning you, my mom can be a bit overwhelming."

"Okay?"

"Like, a lot overwhelming. And I apologize in advance," he said, biting his lip, popping open the car doors, and walking towards the house before she could say anything else.

Namine was hit with the smell of chocolate chip cookies as she walked into the modest house. A woman with Sora's dark hair and Roxas' eyes ran toward her, arms open.

"Ahhhh! You must be Namine! You're so much prettier than I expected! Are you bringing her here to meet me, Roxy? Is she your girlfriend now? Aw, you two are so cute! Would you like a cookie? I just made some! He talks about you all the time, you know, and he finally brought you home! I'm so excited!"

Namine thought to herself silently, _She and Kairi would get along well. _

Roxas stared at his mother, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. _He sure seems to do that a lot now._ "No, Ma, she's not my girlfriend. Remember the play I auditioned for? We got the leads, so our director wants us to read through the script and practice memorizing it together every day.

Roxas' mother swept them both up in a big hug. "Oh, that's so wonderful! I'm so happy for you two! And isn't the play Romeo and Juliet? You two will be a couple before long!"

"Ma!" Roxas exclaimed.

After escaping Roxas' mother and heading up to his room armed with cookies, Namine sat on his bed, laughing. "So, Roxy, you talk about me?"

It wasn't like her to be this…obvious. She would usually just drop it. But deep down, Namine wanted to hear his answer.

"Hey! No nicknames." He said, laughing. "And I've mentioned you once or twice."

She tried to ignore the leaps and bounds her stomach was doing. "You call me Nams. I call you Roxy. So there."

"No fair, Nams."

She laughed, and Roxas sat down next to her. "Okay, let's start. Should we just read through the whole thing, or only our parts?" she asked.

"The whole thing. I call doing funny voices for them!"

As they read, Namine found herself giggling more than actually performing. And thinking about where she was, who she was with, instead of the play.

She tuned back in when she noticed that Roxas had fallen silent.

"Um, Nams? Read this part," he said, pointing to a line in the book.

_Yes! I mean, NOOOO!_

"We have to kiss?!" Her voice came out sharper than she intended.

"Um…yeah," he said sheepishly.

"Oh goodness…" She was not excited. Nope. Not at all. Not even a little.

_Kairi is going to freak. Eep. _

"It's not that big of a deal. It's just a quick kiss."

"Yeah."

"Nothing big."

"Nope."

"And I mean, it's not like we'll fall in love because of that!"

"Not at all." And before she could stop herself, she said, "Let's make a deal."

"About what?"

"That this won't affect our friendship."

"Of course not."

"It's just a kiss."

"Just a kiss."

"Deal?"

She heard a sigh escape from him. "Deal."

* * *

**I am sick. Therefore, I write. I don't know what this chapter is like, but in my sick state, I like it. It's the longest thing I've ever written as a single chapter on this site. :D **

**But yes, thank you for reading! Be sure to review, favorite, and follow. Nothing encourages me more than those three things. Thanks to yukipup5ds and elsalives09 for doing those things! :) **

**Also, if you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in reviews! **

**~Audrey**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Romeo and Juliet.**

* * *

"Alright, everyone!" Mr. Leonhart attempted to silence the rowdy teenagers invading the auditorium. "I know half of you aren't even supposed to be here, so if you are not part of the cast, please go home!" Namine and Roxas, sitting in the front, watched as Kairi and Sora stood up next to them and walked out, grumbling the entire way.

The drama teacher let out a sigh. "_Thank_ you. Anyways, welcome, all of you! Today will be our first rehearsal, with many more to come. Before I begin, I would like to make a few announcements." He held up a thick pack of paper. "Look at the scripts I have given each of you." They all obliged. "This is your ONLY script! If you lose it, I will not help you! And if you are late by more than ten minutes to over three rehearsals, I will not hesitate to give your part to an understudy!"

Roxas looked over at Namine. "Strict, huh?" he whispered. She could barely pay attention to his words, thinking only of her understudy.

Selphie.

Since this was the first rehearsal, Mr. Leonhart wanted every cast member, including the possible replacements, to be in the theater. And sadly, that included the brunette girl who was so cruel to Namine. Even though Namine hadn't said a word to her, before their director started speaking, Selphie had muttered some harsh words in her direction already. Whether it was insulting her hair, acting ability, clothes, and even her mother, there seemed to be no line. All of this happened away from the one person who would stick up for her (and possibly punch that brat in the face): Roxas. For some reason, Selphie never came near her if her blonde friend was by.

Another reason to stick by him.

She tuned back in to hear Roxas whispering in her ear. "Did you hear who my understudy was?"

"No, why?"

"Riku," he said, narrowing his eyes.

Riku had been a thorn in Roxas' side for years. He also was a good actor, and the two were always competing for a role. Or a girl. Before Sora dated Kairi, the silver haired boy had tried to snatch her up. Since Sora was too nice to tell him off, Roxas did. And though Kairi was like a sister to the boy, Riku thought the opposite, and left Roxas with a black eye and bruises that didn't heal for two weeks. Though Sora and Riku had, amazingly enough, become friends after this incident, Namine could tell that Roxas had never really forgiven him.

It didn't help that Riku was, in most girls opinions (and while she would never admit it, hers as well) extremely attractive, with silvery hair, aquamarine eyes, and a tall, strong build. And besides punching people over girls, he was kind. While he was easily the school's most eligible bachelor, he had never expressed much interest in girls who weren't Kairi.

The boy was sitting a few rows behind them, and Namine could practically hear all the girls blatantly staring.

"Got it, everyone?" she heard Mr. Leonhart say. Not wanting to anger him on their first day, she nodded, and made a mental note to ask Roxas what she missed. Before she could say anything, he leaned over again. "Lemme guess, you weren't paying attention."

"Um…"  
He grinned as a blush spread over her face. "We're doing a simple run through. Just stand on the stage and read your lines." Mr. Leonhart called out his name, and he quickly went to the front.

Namine watched him perform with some people she didn't know for a while, then zoned out. Considering she had heard him practice before, she didn't find this as interesting as when they were alone. There were fewer funny voices and more kids having to look down at their scripts every five seconds. She silently thanked Roxas for helping her memorize at least a few of her lines.

Eventually, a girl with green eyes joined him on stage as Rosalie, the girl Romeo used to love. A memory suddenly surfaced of the girl. Her name was Olette, if Namine could remember right, and she was nice.

And then Namine recalled that only knew her because she had dated Roxas in eighth grade. That potential friendship went out the window. What an ironic part for Olette to play.

Before long, it was time for Namine mount the stage and practice. The scenes went by quickly, (though she did blush a bit when talking to her "mother" about the boy who wanted to marry her, some guy named Paris who was played by a boy she didn't know) and soon it was time for Roxas to join her. Looking over the auditorium, she could see that Kairi and Sora had snuck back in. When the two noticed her glaring at them, they both waved cheerfully. The entire group seemed to be paying attention, for once.

Selphie was staring daggers at her.

Namine, though she had read the script with Roxas most likely ten times, was still a bit embarrassed about some of the scenes she had to perform. While the kiss was an entire other matter, they had to fall for each other in the space of an hour or two. Talk about awkward. "Romeo" spoke of how beautiful she was, and Namine pathetically wished it wasn't an act.

But even so, she found herself, her personality, disappearing. It was almost like she was there, she was Juliet. It was what she loved about acting. The dialogue, though too difficult for most to struggle through, came easily to her, and she could tell Roxas was getting into his character as well.

When they finished their first scene together, they looked up at Mr. Leonhart with unsure expressions on their faces. Namine could feel Roxas glance over at her.

And then, their director stood up and began to clap.

"Excellent, excellent! My word, I've never seen such chemistry between two people! It's almost as if you two are really in love!"

Namine heard a squeal come from the back of the auditorium, where Kairi was hiding. Her cheeks were on fire. _It's that obvious I like him? Can I please disappear now? Gosh, I never should have done this. What was I thinking?!_

Roxas appeared to be as embarrassed as she was. "Um, thank you." _Oh great, he's ashamed that people think we're in love. _

As Mr. Leonhart continued to compliment them, she looked over at Selphie. Her green eyes narrowed into slits, and she could practically hear the words the girl was mouthing.

_You're going down._

* * *

Kairi couldn't believe what was happening. After watching the two perform, and eventually walk out of the theater, she ran towards them with Sora in tow.

"Eeeee! You guys were so good!" she yelled, and watched as both of their cheeks turned red.

Namine, probably sensing what she was going to say next, quickly said, "Um, Kairi, aren't you supposed to drive me home?"

"I thought Roxas was going to take you," she retaliated slyly.

Namine's blush grew even darker. "Well, considering you and Roxas have cars and Sora and I don't, why don't you drive me home, and then Sora and Roxas just go to their house?"

Kairi deflated a bit. "Fine."

Roxas stepped in. "You know, Nams, if you need a ride home after practices, I can gladly take you."

"No, no! I can walk home," the blonde said quickly. Kairi started to perk up again.

"No, it's no trouble. I insist," Roxas pushed.

"Oh, fine. I know you won't let it go if I don't say yes," Namine laughed a bit too nervously.

"Anyways, I've got to get her home! See you guys later!" Pecking her boyfriend on the cheek and grinning at Roxas, Kairi grabbed her best friend's arm and dragged her out to her car.

Once they were finally on the road, Kairi started to bounce up and down. "Oh. My. Gosh. Seriously, you two looked like you were lovestruck. Which you both are," she grinned.

Namine glared. "No, we are not! He thinks of me like a sister!"

"Trust me, girl. If you two were related, the way he was looking at you was illegal."

Kairi could see the bit of hope in Namine's eyes brighten before disappearing. "It's never going to happen."

"That's what I said when I was your age about Sora."

"Kairi, you're only a year older than me. You make it sound like you're my mom."

"Don't change the subject. Don't you guys have to kiss in this thing?" She smiled, knowing the answer.

"Um, yeah. But A, Mr. Leonhart is probably going to make us fake kiss, and B…Roxas and I kind of made a deal," she admitted sheepishly.

Kairi narrowed her eyes. "About what?"

"Um, we kind of said that, no matter what, we wouldn't have feelings for each other?"

"Namine!"

"Look, it's a good deal! Us being anything more than friends will ruin everything!"  
"No, it won't! Who even made this stupid deal, anyway?!"

"Me…"

"And how did he act after you said it?"

"I don't know! He just said deal, and kind of sighed a bit."

"See? He's disappointed!" Kairi exclaimed.

"No, he's not!" Namine responded back in an equally loud tone.

Kairi made to take her hands off the wheel to shove her friend.

"Hey! You're going to get us killed!" Namine yelled.

"I'm sure the power of Roxas' love will do that soon enough," she teased.

"Har. Har. You're sooo funny. Are we near my house yet?"

Kairi sighed. "Fine. But give it two months, and you two will be swooning for each other in both the play and real life."

* * *

Sora was an unobservant guy. Most of the time, he never noticed anything. Heck, it took 4 years and his brother beating up Riku before he realized Kairi liked him back.

But even with his terrible skills, he could tell one thing.

What Roxas and Namine did up there was NOT just acting.

As he drove Roxas and himself home, he put the guy through an interrogation.

"What. Was. That?!"

"What do you mean?"

"Dude, I'm not blind. You two looked like you were about to get married or something."

"What?!"

"Everyone noticed it!"

He watched Roxas put his head in his hands. "Oh no…"

"What?"

"Nothing. I just don't want this to happen."

Sora raised his eyebrows. "_What _to happen?"

"Nothing! Can we just drop it?  
"Um, no. In case you hadn't noticed, we're brothers. When I was your age-"

"Oh my gosh. In case _you _hadn't noticed, you're older than me by a year, not twenty."

"Don't change the subject. You two have to kiss, right?"

His brother sighed. "Yeah. But we made a deal about that. Plus, you know Leonhart isn't actually going to have two teenagers make out in front of all the parents. It's just going to be an air kiss or something."

"Not if you make it more…" Sora said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Roxas shoved his brother, and the car swerved.

"Dude, are you trying to kill us both?! But anyway, what was that about a deal?"

"She and I came up with a deal that this won't let us have feelings for each other. Friends and only friends."

"…That is about the stupidest thing you could have agreed to, you know that, right?"

"It's not like I like her like that!"

Sora rolled his eyes. "Oh, of course not."  
"Good. You see things my way."

"Whatever you say, bro."

"Don't say anything about any of this to her or Kairi, okay? It's really nothing. We're just acting."

Sora smirked. "Not for long."

* * *

**Well, guys, look at me. Updating daily. :D Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! I really wanted to do a scene with just the two groups of friends discussing all of this, and I hope I pulled it off. **

**Guess what I love? Reviews, follows, and favorites! Thanks to the following people who have done any of those things: BeefyLeChunk (Go check out his stuff, it's awesome! Also, your review made me smile so much. :D It's what inspired me to write today!), relena soulheart, and corpernichusthe3rd. **

**Thanks for reading! Leave any suggestions for the story in reviews, please. :) (Also, if someone is looking for a beta, please PM me!) **

**~Audrey **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the songs mentioned.**

* * *

_It's been a week since our first rehearsal, and…_

_I just don't know what to do. _

_Rehearsals are three times a week, and for the two days we don't have them, I go over to Roxas' house and we practice. (His mom is still trying to get us to be a couple. Ugh. I feel bad for Roxas, having to put up with pretending to love me.) _

_So yeah, basically I see Roxas pretty much every day, considering Kairi, Sora, him, and I usually do something on the weekends as well. _

_Help. _

_How cheesy can this whole thing get? A girl who is playing Juliet opposite Romeo, aka her best friend, finds her tiny crush on the boy overwhelming her? Ugh! This is fanfiction, I tell you._

_But…_

_I wouldn't change it. _

_Roxas and I have known each other for years, but we were always those friends who hung out in a group, never really alone. And now, twice a week, I find myself in his bedroom. Wait, no, that came out wrong! _

_The thing that kills me is that I enjoy this. Way too much. While we're supposed to be practicing, half the time we give up and just start talking. I've learned more about him in the past week or so than I have in three years. And the more I learn, the more I like him. _

_But I can't DO that! Despite the fact that he makes my heart skip a beat (omygosh, that has got to be the cheesiest thing I've ever written.) we made a deal. And while he probably thinks nothing of it, I do. Why did I make that stupid thing?! _

_Tomorrow's the fourth rehearsal, and Mr. Leonhart is super excited. Seriously, that guy loves us or something. And when he learned we were getting together and memorizing lines, he told us that even after we memorize them, we still need to practice. Sadly, there are a few scenes between us that just seem wayyy too awkward. _

_Stupid Mr. Leonhart. _

_I seriously feel really bad for Roxas. Everyone probably thinks he has a crush on me, and considering every person under the sun is trying to push us together, he probably hates it. _

_Ugh. _

_Sometimes, I wish I never auditioned for this stupid thing. _

Namine shut her journal and hid it under her mattress. As she found the ipod she also kept hidden there (her parents didn't let her listen to music after 9 pm, and took away every listening device and put it in their bedroom. Thankfully, a few years before, her grandparents gave her a tiny ipod shuffle. Convincing her parents that she lost the things was easy, considering it was the size of a quarter. And while Namine also needed music to fall asleep, otherwise she would be up until 4 am, she also loved listening.), she turned off the lights, got into bed, and put in the earbuds.

_I'm so scared about the future_

_And I want to talk to you_

She rolled over , pressing her face into the pillow. _So true, Coldplay. _

As she drifted off, the music kept playing.

_Are you lost or incomplete?  
Do you feel like a puzzle, you can't find your missing piece?_

* * *

When Namine walked into school the next day, Roxas immediately approached her.

"Hey!" she said, smiling.

"Hi. So, um, we have a problem," he said worriedly.

Her heart sank. "What?"

"So, you know how I've been keeping your script with mine, since you go to my house practically every day?"

"Yeah…" Oh no.

He bit his lip and looked down at her with fearful eyes. "Well, I brought it to school today by accident, thinking today was a rehearsal day."

"Roxas, just tell me."

"I think I lost it."

Her mouth dropped open. "Roxas!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I don't know how I could have! I always keep it with mine in my locker!"

"And yours is still there?"  
"Yeah! I don't know where yours could have gone?"

Namine's mind flashed to a pair of glaring green eyes. "Um….does anyone know your locker combination?"

He sighed. "Considering my locker pops open at the drop of a hat, combinations aren't really necessary. Anyone can get in. Why?"

"Oh no."

"What?"

"…promise you won't totally disregard this idea?"

"Of course."

"I think Selphie took it," she said, looking down at her shoes. "She's been…"

Roxas stepped closer to her, putting a hand on her arm. "Been what?"  
Before she could say anything, the school bell clanged, signaling to get to class or else.

"Crap!" She dashed off, yelling over her shoulder, "I'll tell you after school! And make a copy of your script for me, please!"

The first few hours of school passed in a blur, Namine thinking only of her script. _Why would she do something like that? Well, besides wanting my part. But still, I could report her...Except if I did that, she'd be getting her way. Suck it up, Namine. _

Namine usually ate with Roxas at lunch, since Kairi and Sora had a different lunch period, but she abandoned that idea to find Selphie. Predictably, she was in the bathroom, freshening her makeup and scaring away all the freshmen.

When Namine walked towards her, the girl didn't even look her way before saying "Scram, kid."

"No," the blonde said.

Selphie looked away from the mirror to see Namine, and a surprised, evilly happy expression formed on her face. "Well, well, what do we have here? Someone even worse than a freshman. What do you want? If it's beauty advice, I have a ton. Because that is the ugliest effing skirt I have ever seen."

Namine felt herself deflate a bit. She put a bit of extra effort into her appearance that day, and this was her favorite outfit. But why did she even care what Selphie thought?

"N-no." Dang it. Her stutter only showed itself when she was really scared. Not even the audition brought it out in her. "I-I came to ask where my script is."

"I-I d-d-don't kn-know," Selphie said mockingly. "Why would I touch the stupid thing?"

"I-I know you w-want the part, Selphie!"

"Well, beeyatch, maybe I did take your script. But just try and prove it. Trust me, people will believe a gorgeous brunette who's daddy is loaded above a stuttering, hideous blonde. Blonde jokes are there for a reason, sweetheart."

"I-"

"Oh, and by the way, just in case you were misinterpreting what I wanted, I don't care about the part. I care about your boyfriend over there. Roxy? I'm convinced Riku is gay, considering he's not showing any interest in me. So I'm going after the second hottest guy in school. What better way to snag him then by being his Juliet?"

"H-he hates you!"

"Aw, getting defensive? Trust me, sweetheart, YOU'RE the one he doesn't like. Despite you obviously being in love with him. Well, at least he has a lick of sense. Who would like you?"

This one hurt. Namine tried to glare one last time at Selphie before calmly walking off, but she ended up practically running to a different bathroom so she could let a few tears slip out.

_Well, at least someone is telling me the truth._

* * *

As Roxas drove her to his house after school, he picked up on her silence.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

She cleared her throat and shook her head slightly. "I, um, what do you mean?"

"You're really quiet."

"No, I'm not! We're just not listening to music like we usually do. Here, pick something out," she said, holding out his ipod that was lying on the dashboard to him as they were stopped at a red light.

"Um…okay."

Thankfully her and Roxas had almost the exact same music taste. They had even gone to a few concerts together. With Kairi and Sora, of course. The song began to play, and for once, it was something Namine didn't recognize.

_And if you fall hard, I fall harder _

_And if you fall hard, I fall harder _

_And if you've gotta break just let it break_

_I'll pick up the pieces and mistakes_

She liked the song quite a bit. "What is this?"

"Oh. Um, something I heard playing in a store. I Shazamed it. It's called Fall Hard by Shout Out Louds."

"It's good."

"Yeah."

They listened to the song twice before the two finally arrived at Roxas' house. After going through the typical "Aw you two are so cute! Go ahead and practice, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me!" routine with his mother, they went up to Roxas' room. Namine let out a sigh. For some reason, his room always calmed her down. It was a pale blue color, not much different than her own, and had windows on almost every wall. Plus, he had a comfortable floor.

She sat down next to him, and he handed her a thick packet of paper.

"What's this?" she questioned.

"Oh. Um, it's my script. I got the school secretary to copy it for you." For some reason, Roxas was blushing.

She flipped through the pages. "And highlight all of my lines, and write notes in the margins on how to say certain parts?"

His face turned an even darker red, and he scratched the back of his neck. "Um, no. That was me."

She continued to search the script. "Roxas, this is a ton of notes! Way more than I had before. How did you find time to do this?"  
"Well, when you didn't show up to lunch, I didn't really have anything to do."

"Besides eat."

"Ah, whatever."

Before she lost her nerve, she gave him a split-second hug. "Thank you."

His blush returned. "You're welcome." Clearing his throat, he attempted to change the subject. "Where were you at lunch, anyway?"

"Oh, um…I went to the bathroom," she said nervously.

He raised his eyebrows. "For forty minutes?"  
"Um…yes?"

He sighed. "Namine, what happened? Does it have anything to do with what you were going to tell me this morning?"

She bit her lip. "Selphie's just been a brat, that's all," she said under her breath.

Roxas scooted closer to her. "How so?"

Namine felt tears spring to her eyes at the thought of the things she had said in the bathroom, and looked down at the carpet. "Just stupid stuff. Telling me I can't act and…and stupid stuff. It doesn't matter."

He tilted her chin up. "Well, obviously it does. I'm sorry, Nams."

And before she could even register what was happening, he had scooped her into his lap and was giving her the hug she so desperately wanted.

Within five seconds, he let her go. Namine's face was flushed, and she hurriedly grabbed her script. "So, um, we should probably get working."

She heard him let out a small sigh. "Yeah. We should."

* * *

**The song Namine was listening to in the beginning was Talk by Coldplay, and the song that they listened in the car was Fall Hard by Shout Out Louds. Which I actually did hear in a store, then Shazamed. XD Also, if you spot the Mean Girls reference, I will love you forever. **

**Thank you guys so much for reading! And since you did just take all that time to read it, why don't you spend two seconds and drop me a review saying how you liked it? Follows and favorites are nice too! Thanks to the people who have done any of those things: BeefyLeChunk, oblitusanima, Jesusfreak9224, and tsukuneXmoka. **

**If you have any suggestions for the story, or need a beta, please either leave it in a review or PM me! :) **

**~Audrey **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.**

* * *

_Dear journal,_

_More rehearsals. _

_More visits to Roxas' house. _

_More feelings. _

_And more confusion. _

_Life is weird. _

_Tomorrow is the first rehearsal with blocking. I had no clue what blocking is until Roxas explained it. _

_Basically, instead of standing there and reading lines, we're going to be doing actions._

_All actions._

_Including possibly maybe kissing a certain someone. _

_Eep. _

_No wonder I can't sleep…_

* * *

"Hey."  
"What do you want? It's midnight!"

"I need your help."

"…Oh really? With what?"

"It's kind of a long story."

The boy grinned. "I think I may know what it's about. Tell me everything, my brother."

Once the other finished, the first boy immediately began to speak. "I know exactly what will help."

"What?"

"Jealousy."

* * *

The day leading up to the rehearsal couldn't have been more boring. Sadly. Namine could really use a distraction. Kairi and Sora had eventually gotten bored of their rehearsals and stopped watching in the back, so luckily, they wouldn't be there today. Of course, if they found out that she and Roxas would be kissing onstage, they would be there in a heartbeat. But the two blondes both agreed not to tell them.

By the end of the day, Namine was shaking. _This is going to be so embarrassing. Kissing my crush onstage in front of everyone? Ugh. I feel like I'm forcing him into all of this. He's going to hate me after the play is over…_

Walking down the hallway towards the auditorium, she couldn't take it anymore. Namine ran into a bathroom, ready to stay there until the rehearsal was over. She could afford one missed practice, right?

She was all ready to execute her plan until she realized who was also in the bathroom.

Kairi.

Running out before her best friend could see her, Namine only had one thought in her head.

_Who told her?_

Her mind flashed quickly to Roxas before she shook her head. No way. Why would he in the first place?

Dragging her feet all the way, she finally reached the theater and went to walk to the front.

Until she saw Selphie in the corner of the theater, inches away from a tall boy with blonde hair. Her face was lit up, and the boy, from what she could see, didn't look too sad either. _Who is that?_

Mr. Leonhart began to speak. "Okay, when I call your name, please get up on stage! Namine Sato, Roxas Hikari…" He continued to call names, but Namine could only focus on one thing.

Roxas, stepping away from Selphie with a grin, and walking up the aisle to the stage, saying "Later, Selph!"

Namine's mouth hung open. _What?! _

She stormed up on the stage, refusing to look at Roxas, who stood beside her.

"Hey," he whispered.

She was silent.

"Nams?"

Her resolve weakened at the sound of the nickname, before hardening yet again at the thought of the same boy calling her enemy Selph.

"What's wrong?" He risked bumping her shoulder with his own when Mr. Leonhart looked down at his script.

He was not making this easy.

"Nams…what's going on?"

"Okay, everyone off the stage except Namine and Roxas!" yelled their director.

_Crap. _

Namine saw Roxas look at her worriedly with a hint of shame out of the corner of her eye. Good. Make him worry. He deserved it…Didn't he?

"Okay, you two. You've done amazing so far. Now we're going to see how good you can be." Mr. Leonhart began to run them through the stage directions, until he reached the final scene. "Now, for the kiss, don't get too carried away. I don't want another make-out session like the last time I directed this play."

Namine's face turned bright red before she said in a stone cold voice, "Don't worry. That won't happen."

She heard Roxas sigh from behind her. "No, it won't."

"Okay. Get going, you two. Namine, stage left, Roxas, you enter after she finishes the monologue."

"Actually, could we have a minute?" she heard Roxas say.

"Fine. But only a minute!"

"Dang it," Namine muttered under her breath. She followed Roxas to the side of the stage, staring at the floor. He pulled her behind the curtain, so no one could see them.

"What is your problem?" he asked. While she could tell he was trying to sound angry, the worry showed in his eyes, and she felt guilty for a second.

But only for a second. "My problem? What's your problem?!"

"What?"

"Oh, sorry, were you not listening? Maybe if I was Selphie, you would pay attention."

His face hardened. "I can talk to whoever I want to, Namine."

Her heart chilled. He almost never used her real name anymore.

"Whatever," she said, walking to stage left. "Let's just do this stupid thing."

She heard him exhale slowly from behind her before he walked to stage right. "Fine."

The anger between the two was visible to everyone, especially their director. Mr. Leonhart threw his hands in the air. "What is going on with you two?!"

"Nothing," Roxas said from beside her. "We just haven't gotten used to moving around while we talk, I guess."

"Well, you'd better get used to it! This is terrible! Just keep going," he sighed. "Next up is the kiss. Please try not to act like you hate each other."

Namine tried not to panic as she ran through her lines quickly.

And as she approached Roxas.

And as he leaned in.

And as he ghosted his lips over hers, an inch away from her face, then finishing the scene.

_I…_

_Good. _

_This is good, Namine. You don't want him to kiss you. That is not good. _

She snapped out of her daze to see Mr. Leonhart sigh. "Good enough. You two are done. I can't stand to look at either of you. Get your crap together otherwise Selphie and Riku are taking over." He gestured to the two understudies. Selphie looked delighted while Riku simply looked bored. "In fact, why don't you two practice right now? Just in case."

Selphie jumped up on stage, and the two began to run through the script, sounding far better than Namine and Roxas had. Namine couldn't bear to watch the two of them any longer, and was about to leave the auditorium when Roxas stopped her.

"My house tomorrow?" he asked, biting his lip.

She couldn't believe him. He was treating all of this like it never happened! "Why? We've memorized the lines. Besides, shouldn't you be hanging out with your new girlfriend?" Namine said in a snarky tone.

He glared. "Talking to her wasn't my idea."

Namine tried not to yell. "Then who's was it?! Why would you even listen to that person in the first place?!"

"She's not that bad, Namine!"

Now they were both yelling. "She's just trying to get you to fall in love with her to hurt me!"

"Why would it hurt you?!"

Crap. "I don't know! But that's what she told me!"

He scoffed. "Yeah, right."

Namine felt her eyes fill with tears. Roxas was never, ever like this. He was the one to believe her when no one else did, to stick up for her, to hate her enemies even more than she did.

"…what happened to you?" she whispered.

Roxas stood in front of her with his mouth open, blue eyes staring right at her, with no answer.

"That's what I thought," she said, walking towards Riku, who had just finished his scene. Namine came within three inches of him, using her best "I'm totally hitting on you" voice.

"Rikuuuu! You were so good! Seriously, I wish you were Romeo. Not only are you a better actor," she told him, smiling, "you're way hotter." And just to top it off, she wound her fingers around his blue school uniform tie and pulled him just a bit too close.

Riku was grinning. "Aw, thanks. The same can be said to you."

"Oh, Riku," Namine responded, blushing and bumping his shoulder. Just like she always did with Roxas.

"Hey, do you want to go grab a burger or something? I'm done rehearsing."

"Of course!" she smiled. The two walked out the door practically attached at the hip, right past Roxas, who was gritting his teeth.

Namine smiled for real this time.

Two could play at this game.

* * *

**IDK guys, I kinda love sassy, revengeful Namine. XD (And BTW, I actually love RikuNami. So much. But there's gotta someone to use to get back at poor Roxy. ;) )**

**Anyways, I am so sorry that this chapter is so short, and that I didn't update yesterday. Trust me when I say it was beyond my control. But, I am uploading a new RokuNami oneshot in my oneshot collection to say I'm sorry, so go check that out! It should be up within an hour. **

**Things are going to get pretty dramatic. So get ready. B) I'm planning on about 4 more chapters. I've never written a multi-chapter story in the KH fandom before, so what I do write is short. d= Is this story moving too fast? Also, Please give me any ideas you have! **

**Chapter inspirations (AKA music I listened to while writing): Drowning by Banks (this song is so freaking good. Omg.) and Power Hungry Animals by The Apache Relay. **

**ALSO: I hope that mystery conversation made sense in the beginning after Namine's journal. **

**If you enjoyed this chapter, please review, favorite, and follow! Thanks to the following people for doing that already: LovingAnime97, TheWriterWithHalfABrain (that username tho xD), Jesusfreak9224, and BeefyLeChunk! You guys are the best!**  
**~Audrey **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. **

* * *

_Previously: _

_"Rikuuuu! You were so good! Seriously, I wish you were Romeo. Not only are you a better actor," she told him, smiling, "you're way hotter." And just to top it off, she wound her fingers around his blue school uniform tie and pulled him just a bit too close. _

_Riku was grinning. "Aw, thanks. The same can be said to you."_

_"Oh, Riku," Namine responded, blushing and bumping his shoulder. Just like she always did with Roxas._

_"Hey, do you want to go grab a burger or something? I'm done rehearsing."_

_"Of course!" she smiled. The two walked out the door practically attached at the hip, right past Roxas, who was gritting his teeth._

_Namine smiled for real this time. Two could play at this game. _

* * *

Namine awoke to the sound of a high pitched ringing coming from her nightstand. "Ughhhhhh…" Picking up the phone and silencing it, she went back to sleep before the noise started up again. Checking the phone before quieting it, she saw it was Kairi. _She can wait! It's midnight!_

She fell halfway asleep before it started to ring again.

Sighing, Namine hit the talk button. "Kairi, let me sleep! Tomorrow's Saturday! I can talk to you then!"

She could practically hear her best friend grinning on the other side. "Nope. You and I need to talk."

"About what?" she said, groaning.

"Roxas, of course!"

Now Namine really wanted to go back to bed. "There's nothing to talk about. "

She heard Kairi sigh. "Yes, there is. You two haven't spoken in two days. And that's a long time for you."

"So? We're fine!"

"No, you're not! I know you miss him. And I know he misses you. And by the way, hanging out with Riku isn't helping your case."

"I know…but we already scheduled a date tomorrow at Mel's Diner. And he really isn't that bad, you know!"

"I know! He _is _friends with my boyfriend."

"We're just having fun, that's all."

"No, you're not. I know you don't like him! You're just using him to make Roxas mad, and I don't even know why! Well, actually, I do, considering I was in the back, hiding. I heard that you guys were going to kiss. But that's not the point."

"You did? Who told you?" Namine asked, racking her brain for people who would have told Kairi.

"No one. Anyway, this isn't that big of a deal. You know Selphie probably forced herself on him."

Namine bit her lip. "Yeah, but he didn't have to look so happy about it."

She practically heard her friend roll her eyes. "You know what he's trying to do, right?"

"Nawww. Please enlighten me, oh wise one."

"He's trying to make you jealous! And you're doing the same thing back to him! Ugh, you two are so into each other, but so darn blind! It's driving me nuts!"

"Whatever, Kai. I'm tired. Goodnight."

"Nam-"

She hit the end call button before her friend could fill her head with more delusions. Roxas was just a jerk, that's all. Nothing more.

Nothing more.

* * *

At noon the next day, Namine walked the few blocks to the diner that she was meeting Riku at. After finding him, exchanging greetings, and ordering their food, he placed his elbows on the table and looked right at her.

"Namine?"  
"Yeah?"

"You don't really like me, do you." It wasn't a question.

Crap. "Riku….I do."

"Not the way I like you."

"It's been like, two days! Things can change!"  
"Look, Namine. Kairi called me last night."

"Are you serious?!" That girl was going to get it.  
"Yes. And we can be friends. But I don't want you using me to make someone jealous. Kairi didn't tell me who, but she made it pretty obvious that you like someone else."

Namine let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. At least her friend didn't tell him everything.

Riku continued, but Namine didn't even notice. Because up walked Roxas.

With Selphie standing behind him.

The blonde stood nervously over the two, refusing to look at Riku. "Um, can I talk to you, Namine?"

Namine glared at the grinning Selphie. "Not with her here."

"Oh, no problem, Roxy. I'll be over here when you're done." Selphie said, as she kissed Roxas on the cheek.

Namine felt anger flare inside of her. Seriously?! Roxas at least had the good graces to look apologetic. And a little shocked.

"I'll be right back, Riku." She scooted out of the booth and went outside with Roxas, ready to kill him.

"Nams, I swear, I don't-" He started to speak, but Namine was having none of it.

"Save it, Roxas. Seriously? Selphie?"

"Namine-"

"Look, I don't know what's going on with you. But you need to get your crap together. None of this happened before this stupid play!"

He tried to interject, but she continued. "We made a deal that we wouldn't let stuff like this affect our friendship! What happened to that?! What happened to us?" At this point, tears were starting to form in Namine's eyes as her former friend stood helplessly before her. "This is ruining our friendship."

Roxas looked from her to Riku, waiting in the booth inside. And he made a decision.

"Then….maybe we shouldn't be friends at all."

Namine let a tear fall for real this time. "Fine."

"Fine."

The door opened behind them, and Riku strode towards the two. "Hey, is everything alright?"

_Anything but. _And before she even registered what she was doing, she pulled Riku towards her and kissed him as Roxas watched on. It was her first kiss, but she didn't even notice anything about it. She could only think of how she wished it was Roxas.

And as she kissed Riku again, she could only see Roxas out of the corner of her eye. Walking away.

* * *

Kairi was about to scream. "You did what?!"

"I kissed Riku. And it was perfectly pleasant, and I would like to do it again." The lies spilled out before she could think of what she was saying. Considering she practically didn't notice kissing him, it wasn't exactly that great. Though Riku thought the opposite, apparently, considering when he brought her home, he kissed her goodbye, telling her to call him.

_What have I done?_

"Namine, you are such an idiot!"

"What did I do? I kissed someone. Not a big deal."

"Um, you kissed a guy you didn't like in front of the guy you do like. That is not okay! According to Sora, Roxas has been in his room all day. He won't even eat."

Namine felt guilt settle in her stomach, heavy as a stone. "Well…Selphie and him kissed!"

Kairi sounded skeptical through the phone. "Oh really?"

"Well, more like she kissed him on the cheek. But still."

"Namine, that's not his fault! You're being way too mean to him. He's just a stupid boy who doesn't know how to say I love you!"

"Kairi, he doesn't like me. And I don't like him." Hanging up on her friend for the second time in 24 hours, she sighed. Maybe if she said it enough, she would believe it.

* * *

By Monday, Namine had decided to be civil. Talk to Roxas when needed. Considering they were playing Romeo and Juliet, they would have to kind of act like they like each other. But once the curtain was down, they would stop speaking.

But her plan was ruined by none other than Mr. Leonhart.

"Okay, you two. Before we begin, I want you to both tell me what's going on. You two were so great! Now you look like you want to kill each other!"

The two blondes were both silent, refusing to look at each other. Finally, Roxas spoke up. "Just a few creative differences, Mr. Leonhart. Sorry."

"Well, you'd better get over it. We've got a month till opening night, and I don't want to have to replace you at the last minute."  
They both nodded. "Understood," Roxas said.

"Good. Now get to work. I want both of you onstage in five for the kissing scene. That'll teach you two to make up."

_Dammit. _As if this wasn't hard enough, Namine had to get within an inch of Roxas' face again. As she headed off to where she left her script, Roxas put a hand on her arm to stop her. She jerked away and continued walking, ignoring the hurt look in his eyes. She was so over it.

_No you're not…._Namine could practically hear Kairi disproving her. _Oh, shut up. _

After grabbing her script and attempting to ignore Roxas' notes written all over it, she walked up to the stage, dreading every step.

They read through the script for what seemed like the thousandth time, and before long, Namine realized she didn't even need it. But, of course, it was either pretend not to know the lines or look at Roxas the whole time. She chose the former. Until, eventually she was forced to gaze at him as they "kissed". And once again, he said his line, they leaned in…

And he kissed her on the lips for one too-long-too-short moment.

And she'd be darned if that half second wasn't one of the best moments of her life.

Namine reeled back as Roxas looked at her with a worried expression. "Nams-"

But she didn't let him finish before she walked off the stage, tossing out an "I'm sorry" to Mr. Leonhart as she grabbed her things and ran out.

* * *

_"Hello?" _

_"Hi." _

_"Oh, hello there. I must say, I'm surprised you're phoning me at my house, and past eight o clock! Slightly unprofessional." _

_A sigh. "I know, I'm sorry. I just really need to do something." _

_"Can't this wait until Wednesday?" _

_"Sorry, but no. I'm just here to tell you that there's going to be a slight change in the cast."_

* * *

**Yeah, I suck, guys. And I'm sorry. I've had most of this chapter written up for months, but yet again, due to circumstances way beyond my control, I haven't been able to update. I'm seriously really sorry. **

**But anyway, I WILL be continuing this story. I'd say I have about three more chapters left. I really, really want to get it done, just to show that I can actually finish a story. Plus, I went and actually read through this, and I must say, I actually kind of enjoyed it. Is that narcissistic? Yeah, probably. **

**So, please, if you've read this and want me to continue, give me some inspiration! Reviews, follows, and favorites are loved, and I kind of need some love right now. xD  
Thanks to all of you for being so cool. You guys are awesome. **

**Love, Audrey. **


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